Tiltable post.



C. A. POOLE.

TILTABLE POST.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20, I915.

l ,272,@@@, Patented July 9, 1918.

fig, L930 anvewhz CHARLES A. POOLE, orannsny crrY, new JERSEY.

TILTABLE FUSE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 11218.

Application filed October 20, 1915. Serial No. 56,831.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. POOLE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tiltable Posts, of which'th'e following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tiltable posts adapted for use as signal or lamp posts and the object of the invention is to provide a post having freedom of movement in all directions so that when struck, by a vehicle for instance, the post will be tilted. instead of bending or breaking, and whereby the post automatically assumes a verticai position after having been struck by a force sufficient to move the post out of vertical position.

In case of a lamp post for electric lighting it is an object of the invention to provide means for cutting ofi the current when the post is tilted to such an extent that the electric light becomes dangerous for objects or persons near the post, and to provide means for automatically relighting the lamp as the post assumes its vertical position.

Other objects will appear as this specification proceeds. Accordingly my invention is embodied in a post of the character hereinafter described and claimed and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a lamp post embodying the invention, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a bottom inside View of the base of'the post, and

Fig. 3 illustrates the switch for the control of the electric light.

The reference numeral 5 denotes a foundation member preferably inthe form of a hollow cylindrical cast iron casing having a bracing flange 6, a shoulder 7, a collar 8 and lugs 9 and 10. The foundation memher is sunk in the ground in a suitable hole 11 which is preferably filled in with concrete 12 and with the shoulder 7 even with the street or road level 13. 14 is a cross bar 5o-secured to the lugs 10 by bolts and which bar supports a pipe 16 by means of a reducing joint 17 and a suitable bushin 18 the parts being screwed together. 19 is a wire cable which extends down into the pipe 16 and carries a collar 20 at its lower end. 21 is an expansion spring urging the collar 20 downward, hence exercises a constant downward pull on the cable 19.

The post is in this instance shown as be ing an electric lamp post comprising the base 23, the post proper 24 and the lamp 25 which latter may be of any suitable construction.-

The post is preferably a pipe screwed into the base which latter is relatively heavy and cup shaped as at 26.

member and hugs the collar 8 thereof very close to form a supporting means for the base against lateral displacement of the post when the same is tilted and as is apparent from the drawing showing the post tilted in dotted lines.

The base is provided with lugs 27, 27 and 28, 28, see also Fig. 2. 29 is a cross bar secured to the lugs 28 and the wire cable 19 passes through said bar and is provided with a knot above the same, the parts being so arranged and mounted when the post is assembled that the pull of the spring on the cable tends to keep the post upright as will be easily understood. I

From the foregoing read together with the drawing it is apparent that the post is kept normally upright by reason of its weight and because of the pull of the spring on the cable 19. When now a vehicle runs against the post, but not near. enough to strike directly on the portion 24:, the wheels of the vehicle will run against the cup shaped base and slide off of the base as is obvious. At the same time the blow may be sufficiently strong to tilt the post in which The base rests upon the shoulder 7 of the foundation case, the spring and the cable will pull the i post back into upright position after the vehicle has passed the same. It will therefore appear, that the'tcup shaped base acts as a bufi er member from which the vehicle wheel will 'lide ofi or rebound as it were, thus saving 0th the post and the vehicle from seis tilted so much that there is danger of the current from the lamp causing injury, for instance when. the lamp is broken, or when the post might be completely upset and lay on the ground. a

30 represents the electric service cable which is led into the foundation member through an opening 31 where it is connected to a suitable cut out or outlet box 32 mounted. on a block of wood 33 or other suitable support. .From the cut out 32 the currentpasses to the post switch which consists of a fixed member and a movable member adapted to move with the post. The fixed switch member comprises ring formed switch blades 35 and 36 mounted upon a suitable insulating'base 37 carried by a cross bar 38 secured to the aforesaid lugs 9 in the foundation member. Wires as 39 are suitably and severally connected to said switch blades as shown in Fig. 3.

The movable switch member is carried on a crossbar 40 secured to the aforesaid lugs 27 in the post base 23 and consists of two ring formed switch blades 41 and 42 separated by suitable insulation as 43. Wires 44 lead from the movable switch blades to the lamp through the hollow post 24.-

Normally the current passes from the supply cabl es through wire 39 to fixed blade 35, to movable blade 41, to the lamp and through movable blade 42, fixed blade 36. and return. It will be observed that slight tilt-.

and the current cut off from the lamp. It.

is therefore obvious that the dimensions of the switch determine the angle of tilting at which the current is to be interrupted.

It will be observed that the construction as herein described and illustrated is very simple and possesses certain practical advantages. Thus the post is easily assembled and erected and in case of-trouble with the electric service, the post is tilted to expose the switch and the service wires, the cut out and connections may be inspected. The form of the switch blades permits tilting in all directions and easy automatic closing when the post comesto rest in an upright position.

Of course this invention is not limited to posts with electric light but may be adapted for usefwith other illuminants or for day signals only. Hence I claim all such changes as come within the principle of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 2- 1. The combination of a foundation member, a post member supported thereon and adapted to tilt with respect thereto, means for maintaining said post in upright position, an electric lamp on said post, means for supplying current to said lamp and a switch in the lamp circuit for opening the latter when the said post member is tilted beyond a predetermined angle.

2. The combination of a foundation member, a post member supported on the latter and adapted to tilt with respect thereto,

.means tending to maintain said'post member in upright position, an electric lamp on said post, means for supp ying current to said lamp including annular switch blades secured to said foundation member, other annular switch blades secured to said post 1 member, the said switch blades being adapted to engage each other to form an annu ar switch for maintaining the supply of current to the said lamp while the said post member is tilted.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a post member and a foundation member, and means constantly u rging the post member toward the foundation member, the foundation member having an upstanding portion defining an annular sup- I porting portion 'at its base, and the post portion having a hood-like member at its lower end having annular depending wall 'parts telescoped over the upstanding portion of the foundation member resting upon said supporting portion adapted to permit the post to tilt in all directions and to maintain the post centered upon the foundation member.

4. A device of the class described, comprising a post member and a foundation member, the foundation member having an upstanding portion defining an annular supporting portion at its base, the upstanding portion having a central opening therethrough, the post portion having a hoodlike member at its lower end having annular depending wall parts telescoped over the upstanding portion of the foundation member resting upon said supporting portion adapted to permit the post to tilt in all directions and tomaintain the post centered upon the foundation member, a tension member connected to said hook-like member projecting downwardly therefrom through the openingin theupstanding portion of the foundation member, and a spring engaging said tension member to constantly urge'said tension member downwardly and thereby retain the post normally against tilting.

A device of the class described, comprising a post, means whereby said .post is tlltably mounted, a lamp carried by said pest, and means adapted to afi'ect the illumination of the lamp which becomes operable when the post is tilted to a predetermined degree.

3. A device of the class described, comprlsmg a post member and a foundation member, the foundation member having an upstanding portion defining an annular supporting portion at its base, the post ortion having a hood-like member at its ower end having annular depending wall parts telescoped over the upstanding portion of the foundation member resting upon said supporting port-ion adapted to permit the post to tilt in all directions and to main tain the post centered upon the foundation member, a flexible cable connected to.said hood-like member projecting downwardly therefrom, the foundation member being hollow, a transverse member extending between its opposite side walls formed with a central aperture therethrough, through which the cable extends, a hood formed at the lower end of the cable below said trans verse member, a spring interposed between said transverse member and said head disposed for exerting a constant downward pull upon said cable, and a guide member extending downwardly from said transverse member for guiding both the spring and that portion of the cable which extends below the transverse member.

7. A device of the class described, comprising a post member and a foundation member, the post member being adapted to tilt in respect to the foundation member, a contact member carried by the foundation member, a second contact member carried by the post member having rubbing engagement with the first contact member to maintain contact between said members during apart of the tilting of the post, and an electric circuit of which said contact members form a part.

' Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 18th day of October, A. D. 1915.

. CHARLES A. POOLE.- 

